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Summary

DmC: Devil May Cry is, for many, a tricky proposition. It's a reboot of a beloved Japanese franchise for a fresher-faced audience. While this is nominally in the name of a 'grittier' style, the main thrust is to make the game more accessible to new, Western audiences. Enter Ninja Theory, hack 'n' slash veterans of Heavenly Sword and Enslaved.

While DmC gleefully forgoes any serious grab for realism, there is something dirtier about the design than previous games. Things are grimy. You get the feeling that if you fell over in the world of DmC you'd graze your knees. The 'real-world' sections have a darkness to them that's pleasingly dystopian. You still have to deal with a runaway Ferris wheel as monsters slash at your heels in the first five minutes, though.

The game follows Dante on his quests to a) save the world from its demon overlord and b) get to the bottom of his parentage. Alex Garland (The Beach, 28 Days Later) has had his hands on the script so comments on the media and consumer culture abound.

Of course, it's all about the combat, really. Dante's sword, Rebellion, and his pistols, Ebony and Ivory, are all present and accounted for. They're joined early on by Arbiter, an axe that comes out when you use the right trigger to activate 'demonic mode' and delivers heavy attacks. On the other trigger we have an 'angelic mode', which brings the faster Osiris, a scythe that's handy for ranged attacks, to bear.

While there's a reasonably substantial moves list to be picked up, though, the game really isn't about complicated button sequences. It's about how you tie together the different moves at your disposal. As in previous games, you're rewarded with style points that are dished out for unbroken chains, not taking damage and, of course, variation. Hammering away with one weapon will only get you so far.

DmC is fresh, fast and an ideal jumping-on point for anyone who hasn't ventured into the Devil May Cry universe before.